Monday, March 25, 2013

As authors, we know social media is an important aspect of our marketing efforts. But where should we focus our attention, and what can we do to stand out? In my Marketing Monday posts, I'll be tackling these questions.

Pinterest Website Verification

Who: any author who is on Pinterest and has a website

What: A logo on your Pinterest page (seen below) that indicates the website you have listed is "verified" by Pinterest.

When: NOW!

Where: On your Pinterest account page

Why: Two reasons--first, this sends a strong "social signal" that you understand the more sophisticated elements of social media; second, and most importantly, Pinterest is rolling out analytics that allow you to track traffic from Pins back to verified websites for business accounts (http://business.pinterest.com). Want to know the click-through rate of your pins? Want to know whether pins from your site are bringing people back to browse? Verify your site!

How: This part varies depending on what kind of website platform you use. If you have someone who manages or updates your site, they can help you. Otherwise,

Step One: navigate to your profile settings. Go to your profile, then click the edit pencil in the bottom right corner of your profile header (seen above). This is what pops up:

Step Two: Click "Verify Website". You have two options for verification. First, you can download the verification file and upload it to your website. Second, you can grab the meta tag and add it to the of your website. If you manage your own site, uploading the file may be the easier way to verify. If you know your way around HTML or have someone managing your website, the meta tag may be easier.

If you're going with the meta tag option, you can copy and paste this line of HTML code into an email and send it to your designer/site manager. They can add it into your tag and then you can verify!

Whichever option you choose, once the file or code is added to your site, click "Do This Later" if your designer needs time to upload the file or meta tag, or "Complete Verification" if you have done it yourself.

You website should now be on its way to verification! In the comments, let me know how your process went, if you have questions about this, or if there's a marketing issue you'd like me to tackle next month!